Start Listening To: Hot Stamp

The North London sisters bringing chaos, glamour and killer hooks to the world of ‘dangerous pop’.

North London siblings Poppy and Jasmine are the duo behind Hot Stamp, a project that fuses the raw pulse of punk with glossy, high-drama pop. Their debut single “Josephine” is a melodramatic fever dream of obsession and loyalty, delivered with theatrical flair and a knowing wink. It’s a bold first statement, one that draws as much from the leather-clad swagger of Iggy Pop as it does the glitter of Gaga. Live, they’ve already begun turning heads with their riotous stage presence and fearless sense of style, and with a packed summer of festivals ahead, including slots at Wilderness and Tenement Trail, the band’s world is only getting bigger. We caught up with Poppy and Jasmine to talk murder pop, musical obsession, and why the perfect outfit is just as important as the perfect chorus.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

Poppy: Hot Stamp is the band I started with my sister Jasmine. We were born and raised in North London, in a house where there was always a record playing, from Bowie to Britney. The music we make is built on rock foundations but wrapped in glossy, chaotic pop production. Imagine Iggy Pop covering Lady Gaga... or the other way around.

"Josephine" is such a vivid and dramatic debut. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind this obsessive, fatal friendship? Was there a particular spark for the story?

Jasmine: I’ve always been fascinated by obsession in friendships, how intense those dynamics can get. Even though Josephine isn’t a romantic song, I took a lot of inspiration from Alicia Silverstone’s character in The Crush and channelled that energy into the story. Truth be told, Josephine is actually my best friend. She’s fiercely loyal and would never kill me... but that’s what makes it fun to imagine. Why not write a murder pop anthem about your closest friend?

You’ve described the track as feeling like “your favourite memory stabbing you in the back.” How did you land on that emotional tone, and was it difficult to balance beauty with menace?

Poppy: Relatability is one of the most important components of my relationship with music. I listen to music I can connect with. But I often find I get quite affected by what I listen to - so I think with this track I wanted the tone to be sort of dramatic and distressed rather than like “Oh, you’re a bit of a crap friend”. Cause that would just be sad to listen to. And this isn’t a sad song, it’s murder pop. 

I think balancing beauty with menace is quite a good way of summing up a lot of what we do. The sweet spot of music is the line directly in between tasteful and tasteless. 

You wrote and recorded “Josephine” in a single day. What was that session like, and do you often work that spontaneously?

Jasmine: Going into the session I had a really vivid idea and I knew exactly how I wanted the song to be. We usually write pretty fast , but this one came together even quicker than usual because we didn’t overthink it as much.

Poppy: Jasmine had the idea for the song about 6 months before we wrote it, and we kept it in the back pocket. Once we finally got it into the studio, we threw all our experiences and anecdotes into the fire and Josephine is what jumped out. It’s quite a visual story I think, because when we wrote it we were also imagining the music video. 

With a lot of our writing the part that takes the longest is really honing in on what the song is about and why we think it needs to be written. Once we’ve got that down, it all happens quite fast. 

Your sound has been described as ‘dangerous pop.’ What does that term mean to you, and how do you think it comes through in your music?

Poppy: When HS first started, we sounded a lot more punk. And I still love all the records that inspired the first version of the band (New York Dolls, Stooges, Television). But the reality is, no one can mak e a better punk record than has already been made. Or at least I can’t. And I think it just limited our songwriting, trying to fit into that box. 

So ‘dangerous pop’ was born, I think at the Windmill after a soundcheck. To me, it means retaining the frantic and raw energy of our previous shows without being afraid to admit that yeah, I think The Fame Monster is one of the best albums of all time. 

Your influences span from PJ Harvey and Björk to surreal cinema and 1800s female gunslingers. How do these visuals and references shape your songwriting and stage presence?

Jasmine: All these inspirations and influences have been a big part of our ‘world building’ lately…

To me the 1800’s female gunslingers symbolise power and fearlessness which is the energy I try to bring to the stage.

Poppy: When it comes to songwriting, we almost work in a synesthetic way. We’ll pull up reference photos or scenes to help us dive deeper into a concept. For example, with Josephine, we drew a lot from films like Jawbreaker and The Neon Demon, they helped us visualise the mood and emotional tone.

Live shows seem to be a big part of what’s driving the Hot Stamp buzz. How do you approach performing, and what do you want people to feel when they see you live?

Poppy: When I get on stage that’s usually the only time I don’t really have any thoughts in my head, so it’s a bit like stepping through a portal. We want the crowd to find that element of escapism as well. 

You’ve said almost everything in “Josephine” is autobiographical, except the murder. How much of your songwriting tends to pull from personal experience?

Jasmine: Pretty much all of our songwriting is drawn from personal experience. We always start with a topic and once we’ve decided what that’s gonna be, everything usually flows from there.

Poppy: I guess we write what we know, and there’s a lot of comfort in that because once you’ve turned a situation into a song, it’s like it’s all wrapped up with a bow and you can move on from it. And then if it happens to you again, at least you’ve got a song you can relate to, ready to press play on. 

Fashion and art clearly play a huge role in Hot Stamp’s world. How do you think about your visual identity alongside your sound?

Jasmine: I don’t think I’d be able to get into character in a pair of jeans and T Shirt. The stronger the look, the easier it feels for me to do the best performance I can.

Poppy: Agreed, I would feel uncomfortable being on stage in something that isn’t at least a bit ridiculous. The sound and the style sort of go hand in hand - there’s a certain glamour to it with a bit of bite. 

You’ve got some big shows lined up this summer, Wilderness, Live at Leeds, Tenement Trail. Are there any you’re especially excited or nervous about?

Jasmine: I can’t wait for all of it! I’m really looking forward to playing in all these cities that we’ve never been to before. But I’m especially looking forward to Wilderness festival as I’ve been before and I had the best time ever. They have a tent for drag called ‘House of sublime’ that I would highly recommend! 

What do you love right now?

Jasmine: Being in the studio, mint ice cream, clothes that fit perfectly, going to the cinema, strawberries and Nutella.

Poppy: Dalmatians, the 30 seconds of genius feeling after writing a new song, sending letters to friends, the perfect dark purple shade of lipstick.

What do you hate right now?

Jasmine: People with bad vibes, mosquitoes, a bad hair day.

Poppy: Negronis, secrets, dill.

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you? 

Jasmine: It may have to be Raw Power by The Stooges. Nothing beats Iggy… and it’s always been that way! We saw him two nights ago at Alexandra Palace and it was one of my favourite shows I’ve ever been to.

Poppy: One of The Boys by Katy Perry. Before I explain why, I want to expressly state I don’t agree with her going to space. Or anything she’s done since 2012. But those tracks (I Kissed a Girl, Hot N Cold, Waking Up in Vegas) still hold up as some of the best songs ever written. 

A cooler choice would probably be Damn the Torpedos by Tom Petty. We used to listen to it a lot in the car as a family. The first time I ever performed was in year 4 at my school talent show, and it played a Petty song. So he’s forever in my heart. 

Now that “Josephine” is out in the world, what’s next for Hot Stamp? 

Jasmine: You may or may not be getting some more music very soon. Followed by some festivals and hopefully a tour…